Wilkins to RPW Letter 11/27/64

Roy Wilkins expresses eagerness for the book to be published. He clarifies aspects of NAACP funding. He notes that there has been no NAACP litigation against Quaker Oats Company's Aunt Jemima Pancake House brand but acknowledges that some branches have filed complaints. He refers certain questions about the former to Jack Greenberg or Jesse DeVore, and about the latter to Raymond Harth.

Wilkins to RPW Letter 11/27/64 Searchable Text

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE
TWENTY WEST FORTIETH STREET ' NEW YORK, N. Y. 10018 ' BRyant 9-1400

November 27, 1964

Mr. Robert Penn Warren
2495 Redding Road
Fairfield, Connecticut

Dear Mr. Warren:

I do not doubt that at some point in the future I will have occasion
to get payment in kind for my so-called "good turn." But I am
pleased that it is possible for me to make even a small contribution
to this project. Needless to say I am anxiously awaiting publication
date.

I repeat that the NAACP receives a great majority of its funds from
individual contributors and virtually none from foundations or other
groups. I believe that practically all other similar civil rights
organizations receive a substantial, if not the majority, proportion
of their income from white contributors. This, I believe, is an accurate
assumption about the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund,
Inc. However, since it is a separate corporation, I suggest that you
communicate directly with the Inc. Fund offices to secure more detailed
information. You might write to Jack Greenberg, Director-Counsel or to
the Public Relations Director, Jesse DeVore, 10 Columbus Circle,
Suite 2030, New York, N.Y.

The National Office NAACP has not been involved in any litigation with
the Quaker Oats Company which controls Aunt Jemima Pan Cake House chain
and to the best of our knowledge there has been no legal action instituted
by any of our units. However, there have been formal complaints
lodged with the Quaker Oats Company by several branches. I believe the
action to which you refer in the Midwest was in the form of a complaint
filed by our Illinois State Conference of Branches. I am not sure of
the final disposition of the matter, but suggest that you might write
directly to Raymond Harth, Esq., 69 N. Washington Street, Chicago. I
am sure Mr. Harth will be happy to bring you up-to-date on the status
of this matter.

Original materials provided by the University of Kentucky and Yale University libraries and digitized with the permission of the Warren estate. Digital archive created and designed by the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities at Vanderbilt University.